Ferguson Jenkins.

- The. “best ball player
Canada ‘has ever sent to the -

majors,- Jenkins normally
spends all his winters on his

farm near Chatham, Ont: -

verb, so herewith approximately - ah
that number on a very fine. Pi cher named

The iength i ‘of time he not -

only. has lasted, but in which

he has excelled, is best”
exemplified in a couple of

Statistics: :

igger aid to hitters than it.
pitchers. -Hitters can’t
see the ball quite as well

under the arc lights. Some
“pitchers figure night ball is.
“worth another five wins a
.. season to them. During his -

. ‘hockey. He s. sure, he'd | have |
-. gone. ‘that route, instead: of.
"weight.. But at 15 he was a

_tall.as -he’is now and weighed —
only 145. aa

- te

‘He soon: Jed, Chatham to -

a couple:of years. ago, V
> this was menti

“As: a. matter of fact I talk oT
more about. hunting, fishing, | |
outdoors, “equipment. and. _|...:
boats.” . 7 “|

1
L.

He was laying 1 first-base |
for a service club-sponsored —
in Chatham when the
pitcher hurt his arm one day -
and Fergie volunteered to
_ take his place. He just threw.
the ball as hard as he could’
and won... Sass

- Organizers ‘of. Saturday's
. clinic, Please note. Pon

"ae +

“INSTANT STAR

_ OPENINGS STILL AVAILABLE.
IN. .--

five Ontario minor baseball
‘titles. Then, ..when he
_graduated: from high school

“But this winter he’s coming
“Out to’ “Vancouver ~ for: an

special visit. 2

Next Saturday ‘at Simon
Fraser University, he'll be
the number one pitching
instructor in an all-day B.C.
Amateur Baseball
Association clinic: With the
help of provincial baseball.
co-ordinator Wayne Norton,
Port Moody's gift to pro ball

in: the 1960s, the BCABA -

“stages this clinic in early
“ January every second year.

Jenkins is not the only well |

. known name to take part this
year, but he’s certainly the
best' known one. Especially
in Canada. Others jin at-
tendance will be:

_ manager Dick Williams,
Toron
manager Peter Bavasi, Gary
Carter; Bobby Gragan and
Dave McKay. *

HOME GROWN
. PRODUCT
Dave is another product
from area. He grew up
next’ door to Nat Bailey

”

Stadium, made it into the ,

majors with Minnesota
Twins and now is-a starting
infielder with the Blue Jays.

This past season was his

third in the majors, which |

‘means he has 10 more to go
before he equals Jenkins’
stay, which started in 1966.
Just turned 35, Fergie figures
there’s no reason why he
shouldn't make it 15.

~ Off his last season’s 18-8
record with Texas Rangers,
there’s no reason indeed.
Cor , rather than power,

- veen his strong suit ever -
since he came up from the
minors at the age of 22. This
type of pitcher usually lasts
longer than. the fireballing
variety.

Ia sports your business?

if it is, you can use this
space to reach every
sports-minded person on
the North Shore. Get in
touch with your
customers.

Call display advertising
980-0511

Ca sausuneanen vo. asaya tendansaen dene sneeiaiepanaaasannecamamemsmmemnamanminaidl

.. alltime

Blue Jay’s general .

_major.~
strikeout . standings,
season having moved past

-Don Drysdale and the.
legendary - -Christy. Mat-_.-

thewson. And there was one
eight-year span earlier in his

career, most of it playing for
: Chicago Cubs, in which he

had seven seasons of 20 or
more wins.

POOR TEAM

This was all the - more
remarkable on a couple of
accounts. The Cubs weren't
that good a team, meaning
they weren't getting too
many runs for him. In 1968,
when he won an even 20, he
also set a major league
record -by losing five 1-0
decisions.

| Then there was the
balipark itself, one of

smaller playpens.
‘major. Pitchers. like big

‘ones, where ‘@ long fly is an ;

easy out, not a home run.
The other Wrigley Field
hazard was unique. It is the
only park in the game
without lights.

The. Cubs’ late owner,
chewing gum magnate Phil
Wrigley, didn’t approve of
night ball. He refused to

in the «

" best years, Jenkins” didn't
He now: stands: ninth in the
league
last

have this going for him in
Chicago. '

After six. . Straight : seasons
of 20 wins .or more,he
‘slipped to 14-163 in: 1973. The
Cubs immediately. ~traded
him to the Rangers, after he
had asked to go to Detroit or

Montreal so he could be

closer to his Ontario home.
He departed in a bitter
mood, saying it was -for-
tunate baseball hadn't ex-
panded to Outer Mongolia.
He might have wound up
there.

BEST EVER

’ His First year with ihe

- Rangers was the best of his

career -- 25 wins. While he
has never quite come back
to that, he remains a
mainstay of the team’s

mound staff.

like a basketball player than
a baseball star. He ‘stands a
pencil-thin 6'5"*and weighs
just over 200 pounds. In
fact; in 1967 he joined the
Harlem Globe Trotters for a
cross-Canada_ winter tour.
He said it did. wonders for his
confidence — to learn how
not to lose. As everyone
knows, the Trotters never
lose.

View select rental Suites
Studios/One and Two Bedrooms

Adult Oriented

No Pets, please

#115 - 2012 Fullerton Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C. V7P 3E3
Telephone: 926-7894

Viewing hours:

1Z noon to & p.m.

Weekdays

noon to 6 p.m. Weekends

at 18, eight big league teams _
' came.

_ became an instant star.

To see him, he looks more

SPRING ART PROGRAM

after him. He signed |
with Philadelphia’ for a.
$7,500 bonus and $400 a-
month. Well stocked with a
veteran pitching corps, the’

Phillies traded him to the |
Cubs: in 1966 and there he

|

Despite the fact he has
made his living in the States
since 1962, Canada remains
his home. No sunbelt winters
for him. He owns a big farm
just outside Chatham. and

d Design
Advertising | Hlustration

CLASSES START WEEK OF JANUARY 8

o

°

Faises cattle there. He For registration & ¢ course information: call 986-1911,
spends his spare time local 203
hunting and fishing.

Or in person: ..
at Registrar's Office.
2-7 pam. Mon. & Tus.» Jan8& 9

2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver
(up th the hill from the Coach House)

Some of his non-spare
time is spent as a member of
the Simpson Sears sports .
advisory council, showing —
presumably young
Canadians how he prips a
baseball when he throws:-a

two stores

ROYAL CENTRE " AND

Georgia and Burrard Street
OPEN TILL 9 P.M. FRI.

633 HOWE STREET

just down from
the Georgia Hotel